Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 391 - 35 How is this Possible

Chapter 391: Chapter 35 How is this Possible

"So what do you think now?" Xiang Shan asked.

"I wouldn’t know that, senior," replied Little Brother in a calm tone. "My main body wouldn’t download such important information into a Personality Mask like me. King Aqini hasn’t developed in this direction yet, so we mustn’t let him know."

Xiang Shan nodded, "I can understand."

"Although I don’t have the relevant memories... it’s quite miraculous that I know what you’re talking about. It’s really terrifying. Aside from us, there exists such Inner Strength..." Little Brother said, "And what you’re saying is true. You were the original assistant... the Eighth Martial God... but..."

Xiang Shan nodded again, "I am Xiang Shan."

He said it very naturally, as though it was a simple introduction of himself.

Then, after several seconds, he added, "Because I am also Xiang Shan, I obtained what the Eighth Martial God left behind."

During this time, Little Brother didn’t even speak.

"I see..." After a long while, the fellow murmured as if talking in his sleep: "I seem to understand why the Eighth Martial God suddenly exposed himself, and why Master would uncharacteristically acknowledge that the Eighth Martial God is Xiang Shan..."

Little Brother said softly before continuing, "Junior TX-0..."

TX-0, a computer manufactured by MIT in the fifties, cost 3 million US Dollars and occupied the size of a room.

Yet it was the best "personal" computer that the first generation of hackers could have.

Even the term "hacker" originated from the users of TX-0.

Xiang Shan nodded, "That’s also a very historical name. Zero ah..."

"Hm..." TX-0, or rather Zero, unexpectedly exclaimed in astonishment.

"Is there a problem..."

"No... just..." Zero said with a peculiar tone, "Although it’s like that, it’s just... It’s been so long since anyone has called me that..."

"So long..."

"I... I..." Zero said, "I was very young when my mentor took me in. After being assigned this code name, it became the nickname that she used to call me..."

Sometimes she would even call him "Superman Zero," and it was always with a mysterious, teasing taste.

The mentor’s taste in names was occasionally so quirky, utterly unpredictable in her line of thought.

But what was weirder, was that the person in front of him could instantly think of the same nickname and apply it to him.

What to say...

—Could it really be that legendary figure in the prophecy?

Xiang Shan was slightly taken aback.

Taken in?

Owing to Zhu Xinyu’s identity and status, she was one of the first to undergo Benchmark Human Remodeling Surgery and also among the earliest to benefit from reverse aging Gene Therapy. Thus, her body remained very young until she was fully cyberized.

When Zhu Xinyu first met him, she was only seventeen years old.

What’s more important, no matter how old that guy got, he always retained that character.

It’s hard to imagine, her taking in and raising other orphans...

Xiang Shan chose his words carefully, "Then, Superman Zero..."

"Ah... Please don’t call me that, it gives me a sense of embarrassment," TX-0 expressed.

When he was a child, his mentor would tease him like this, truly making him believe that he possessed an exceptional talent. Thus, he easily provoked his senior brothers and sisters... In short, he was very brave.

Then, under the control of his senior brothers and sisters, he did many things that now seem too embarrassing to look back on.

Xiang Shan was taken aback for a moment. For some reason, he had actually guessed the general idea, and he didn’t need any confirmation to know that his guess was very close to the truth.

The reason he addressed TX-0 in such a way was because of this special relationship, which made him feel a closeness to this Internal expert.

Now that he looked at it, he even had an illusion of seeing one’s own "foolish son."

"So... Superman Zero?"

"Please don’t call me that," TX-0 said. "I need a little time to let this brain vent some extreme emotions."

Xiang Shan was somewhat surprised. "I don’t think you seem particularly horrified, do you, Zero?"

"No, actually I’m almost scared to death," Zero replied. "The synaptic vesicles in this brain are frantically releasing noradrenaline, and the adrenaline system is being activated. It’s very agitated right now, even to the point where the hands and feet can’t control themselves and start to wave wildly."

This isn’t something that can be controlled by a person themselves. "Noradrenaline" corresponds to the emotion of "horror." Meanwhile, it is also closely related to "alertness," "the impulse to move."

Primitive people seeing something horrifying, like a large feline animal nearby, would depend on this reaction to save their lives.

In such a state, the human body would force the person to move.

Xiang Shan watched him with interest. "I don’t see that reaction from you."

"Because after all, I am a Pseudo-personality Mask, and the main entity exists within a hard drive. I can replace those receptor-generated signals with another electrical signal," Zero paused. "However... please wait a moment. I really need to vent some emotion to prevent damage to my will."

Then, the Prosthetic Eye of this body went dark for a second.

Immediately after, Xiang Shan heard a howl: "Ahhh, ahhh, ahh!"

The human brain continuously accumulates a chemical called "adenosine" during its functioning. When this chemical fully binds with receptors in the brain, it induces the emotion of "sleepiness." However, adenosine’s chemical structure is somewhat similar to that of caffeine, so caffeine can bind to the adenosine receptors without activating them, thus not eliciting the effect of adenosine. That’s why people who drink coffee or strong tea don’t feel sleepy.

But the adenosine in the brain still exists, simply not exerting its effect for the time being. Once the caffeine is metabolized, sleepiness returns, often more intensely than before.

And now, this old Boxer had fallen into a similar state.

"Ah... Ahhh..."

In Xiang Shan’s mind, this Matsushima Instructor was not a sage-like figure with flowing white beard, nor the meticulous "aged craftsman."

It was beyond his expectation that this external strength expert would actually kneel on the ground, desperately pounding the floor with his hands.

Even the ground began to show large cracks.

"Ah... Ahh, ahhh, this can’t be..." He realized his arms were malfunctioning, which made him stop. Hiroshi Matsushima looked at Xiang Shan and asked, "Xiang Shan?"

"It’s me."

"Martial God?"

"Correct."

"Theoretically the same personality as the Progenitor of Martial Arts?"

"You could say that."

"The Only Defeat in Ten Thousand Battles?"

"I actually wish you wouldn’t always emphasize ’The Only Defeat’..."

Hiroshi Matsushima clutched his head. "How is this possible?"